olympians

Georg Capaul has coached nearly every level of ski racer including Olympians. Now, a high school coach, we caught up with Capaul to talk about what makes a great racer and what his time coaching has taught him.

The freeskiers who invented it don’t have to like it, but skiercross—make that ‘ski cross’—is now an official, FIS-controlled Olympic event, and former World Cup racers like Daron Rahlves are among the favorites. Burning questions remain, like how baggy should your clothes be, what exactly are the rules, and who’ll win the first gold medal.

This we know about Daron Rahlves: He is the most accomplished American downhill racer of all time. A competitive streak runs so deep in his system that it’s like a thread spun directly into his chromosomal helix.

But can that explain why a 36-year-old father of 2-year-old twins would subject himself to the often violent rigors of ski cross, the newest sport—some would say “blood sport”—on this winter’s Olympic agenda? He already has a hall-of-fame résumé. What else is there to prove?

Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire, has been well known for its ski area, which features trails and activities for all ages and abilities.

In the mid-60s, Olympic skier Tom Corcoran scoured northern New England for just the right mountain to fulfill his vision of a year-round destination ski resort. When he saw Waterville Valley- which then had only a couple of rope tows and trails, an inn, and 500 acres of land for sale -Tom knew it was the place. The region is a snow pocket, and the U.S. Forest Service had already mapped Mount Tecumseh as a potential ski area. With guaranteed forest around its borders, Corcoran knew he could limit development by purchasing almost all of the privately held land in the valley.

Do you want a village that feels intimate and embracing at the foot of expansive yet seamlessly interconnected slopes? Is convenience king for you? If you answered yes, then go here.

Giant ski areas - the largest in the world - are a hallmark of French skiing. These sprawling arenas of interconnected lifts, runs and resort centers are so vast that even the brawniest North American resorts look Lilliputian in comparison. (Imagine six Whistler Blackcombs tethered together.) With the comparatively modest 24,000 contiguous skiable acres of Espace Killy out its back door, Val d'Isère is hardly the largest of the French megaresorts (a mere three Whistler Blackcombs).